Volleyball Sunset

As I made my way to volleyball tonight the sky was spectacularly lit up in oranges and pinks with the setting sun. I first noticed the glorious colour as I made my way from Kenwood Ave to Arrowhead Road, up over the divide and off in the distance was a beautiful sight - sun setting in the distance, no clouds. My mobile was charging though so I missed the opportunity to snap a pic at the height of the rise there in the road.

Some distance down the road, after crossing HWY 53 as I recall, the road was once again higher than the sunset, but not the treeline, still enough to capture a decent shot as I drove. Shhh...don't tell. (I know I shouldn't be on the mobile and driving - but there were nearly no cars about and I couldn't help myself being an avid moblogger/photographer.) Please forgive me.

Volleyball was a bit of a drag. After three weeks of playing on stellar teams, the glory ride had to come to an end. We counted off and for a moment I was saved with an old teammate on my team, until the 2nd team realised he was to be with them - I was saddled with the two primadonna loud guys, an ok guy, and another semi-ok guy along with an ok girl. So many new people in the gym tonight that nobody knew. I was asking the girl who runs the group if she knew any of these new people and she was beside herself wondering who told these people about it. Some of the people on my team had been coming for a year or two - but they weren't invited by regs either as anyone could figure.

Needless to say, on top of my shoulder being sore and again aggravated by even warming up some, my attitude suffered some as it was such a let down to play not only with those two loud mouths, but inbetween them on and off most of the night as no one else would play by them and when they were next to each other they spent the time insulting each other's play rather than ever trying to work together and as part of our team for the greater goal. They both flailed about like two spastics waving aimlessly at flies circling their heads rather than stop and think about the ball's position, the play they would attempt to make, open spots on the opponent's side, or many times even including the rest of the team as they would put the ball back over on one, more often than not, out of bounds or into the net neither one seeming to possess any control of their hits. At one point I became so infuriated by the one guy after he stepped in front of me yet again like I was some incompetent, again hogging the ball for himself instead of setting it up for others and bashing it directly into the net, stopping just short of running me down, manhandling me as he made some loud excuse for his lack of skill - to which I just turned and said, "You're a fucking spastic" shaking my head and resuming my position for the next play. Later after we lost that game, he walked over to another guy and nodded towards where I was sitting alone on the bleachers getting a drink of water muttering some shit about me. LMAO. Whinger.

I've been coming to this group night for 16 years, he's been here two. I've played volleyball since I was 11 years old. I've captained and competed on many school and league champion teams. I hardly feel like some loudmouthed unskilled wanna-be would intimidate me in the least. If anything, he should be afraid, very afraid. Or maybe in awe, and bowing at my feet. Not that I believe I am some volleyball goddess, but moreover, a team player who's had a quite successful career and a very tolerant mentor of the sport as well, except when it comes to fuckwits who just show up and have no concept of sportsmanship.

/rant. kinda.

After returning home I was unhappy to have to pull out some old rags and sheets so as to cover my outdoor plants and vegetables to keep them safe from the predicted hard freeze tonight. *Sigh* I am so not ready for winter, no matter how many I've been through, I just hate the thought of the plants dying back, the leaves falling, and the impending snow's arrival. Winters are so long here - and I am not getting any younger. As I mentioned earlier, I've hurt my shoulder and my knees are acting up again as well. I feel and look young, but my body is betraying me, as if I am moving on from late summer in my own life sometimes, toward fall.

Say it ain't so.